The annual Ukrainian Heritage Festival, which has been gathering the Ukrainian community and friends of Ukraine for almost four decades, took place in Yonkers, New York, from June 19 to 21. The three-day celebration combined concert programs, folk dances, traditional cuisine, a fair, cultural presentations and charitable initiatives.
This was reported by the organizers of the festival St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Ukrainian Women’s Union of America and participants of the event.
The festival was traditionally held on the territory of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers. Over the course of three days, guests had the opportunity to enjoy Ukrainian music, performances by dance groups from different states, taste authentic dishes and get acquainted with Ukrainian culture. The festival brought together the Ukrainian community and friends of Ukraine from different parts of New York and neighboring states.
The opening of the festival on June 19 began with a solemn ceremony. The opening ceremony was hosted by Yaroslav Palylyk and Oleg Bilovus, and the national anthems were performed by Stefan Shkafarovsky. The first evening of the festival was opened by performances by the children's dance groups UAYA Yonkers Dancers under the direction of Ani Martynovych, Olena Nabatova and Khrystyna Momot.
The concert program also included performances by members of the Marika Kurchak Children’s Ensemble, students of the “Kraplinka” festival, soloists Yana Bida, Ilya Bugera and Sofia Balkova, as well as students of the School of Ukrainian Studies with vocal and dance numbers.
After the official concert program, a traditional Ukrainian party was held for the festival guests with the participation of DJ Oles Hatala.
Throughout the evening, visitors were treated to numerous gastronomic locations with Ukrainian dishes, a fair, attractions, playgrounds and trade stands. Guests could taste varenyky, borscht, as well as other traditional Ukrainian dishes and drinks.
The largest program of the festival took place on Saturday. Dozens of creative groups performed on stage, including Iskra Dance Ensemble, Tsvitka Dance Ensemble, Orlando and Larissa Pagan Dancers, Taras Shevchenko School of Ukrainian Dance, Moloda Dumka Children’s Choir, Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Voda Voice Vocal Trio, Roman Kozicky Ensemble Band and many other artists from various Ukrainian communities in the USA.
During the festival, a fair of Ukrainian products, attractions for children, numerous trade tents and gastronomic locations were open. Volunteers and public organizations prepared traditional Ukrainian dishes, including varenyky, cabbage rolls, borscht, sausages and homemade pastries.
The final day took place on June 21. The final concert program was hosted by Oleksandr Boyko. Famous Ukrainian creative groups and performers performed on stage, presenting the wealth of Ukrainian folk art.
The audience saw performances by the Zoloty Promin Dance Ensemble, which performed the choreographic compositions "Privit", "Zakarpatsky", "Fire Dance", "Volyn" and "Hopak". The musical program was complemented by performances by the Voda Voice Vocal Trio, singer Khrystyna Yavdoshnyak and the Roman Kozicky Ensemble Band, who presented Ukrainian folk and modern compositions to the guests.
After the concert, the festival continued with traditional Ukrainian entertainment with the participation of DJ Oles Hatala, which lasted until the evening.
During the last day, as well as throughout the festival, numerous gastronomic locations, a fair of Ukrainian products, attractions and entertainment venues were open to guests.
Members of the 30th chapter of the Union of Ukrainian Women of America took a special part in the preparation, who, together with volunteers, prepared traditional dishes for the festival guests for several days.
Special attention was paid to community activities. The festival featured an information stand of the American Coalition for Ukraine, where visitors could learn about advocacy campaigns and opportunities to support Ukraine, as well as other Ukrainian organizations and sponsors.
According to the organizers, the festival was visited not only by Ukrainians, but also by representatives of many other ethnic communities who got acquainted with Ukrainian traditions, culture and cuisine.
“It was especially warm to see representatives of different ethnic communities among the guests. They got acquainted with Ukrainian culture with great enthusiasm and sincere interest, tasted our dishes and shared this holiday with us,” the event participants noted.
The participants of the creative teams thanked the organizers for the opportunity to perform at the festival. In particular, the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble recognized the support of parents who attended the Father’s Day performances.
St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church expressed gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers, artists, vendors, sponsors, as well as the Yonkers City Police and New York State Troopers who provided security during the festival.
The annual Yonkers Ukrainian Heritage Festival, held since 1986, remains one of the largest Ukrainian cultural events in New York State, uniting the community around the preservation of Ukrainian heritage, support for Ukraine, and the development of cultural ties in the United States.
Photo: Yonkers Ukrainian Heritage Festival, Zoryana Bodnar, Chuck Lesnick, UNWLA Branch 30 Yonkers, NY – Ukrainian National Women’s League of America
Author: Inna Mikhno